By Daqiong and Palden Nyima in Lhasa 

A photo shows the entrance to the Gokarla Tunnel, a key section of the Lhasa-Tsethang Highway, in the Tibet autonomous region. [Screengrab/CCTV News app]

After seven years of construction, work on the world's longest high-altitude road tunnel was completed on Wednesday in the Tibet autonomous region.

Connecting Dechen township of Dagze district of Lhasa, and Samye township of Zhanang county in the region's Lhokha city, the Gokarla Tunnel is a key section of the Lhasa-Tsethang Highway. The highway is one of the important measures in creating a one-hour economic circle in the central part of the region, according to China Communications Construction Company, which built the project.

The altitudes at the entrances of the tunnel are 4,248 meters and 4,117 meters above sea level. With one lane of the tunnel stretching 12,790 meters and the other 12,780 meters, the tunnel has been hailed as the world's longest at such an altitude, according to the company.

Zhou Xiaobing, a leader of the project, said the average altitude of the tunnel is 4,300 meters, and the geological conditions along the route are extremely complex.

"During construction, we faced difficulties in terms of the sheer length of the tunnel, ventilation, large inclines, lack of oxygen and frigid cold weather," said Zhou, who added that excessive soil moisture and dangerous gases also proved hazardous.

Zhou said that if the project were not located in the mountains it should have only taken a maximum of four years to complete, but when the average altitude is above 4,000 meters, things get complicated.

To cope with the construction difficulties, the workers used advanced equipment such as three-arm drilling trolleys, wet spraying manipulators, electric loaders and electric excavators.

"The use of this advanced equipment significantly reduced the number of workers and labor intensity involved, and it significantly improved construction efficiency and safety," Zhou said.

Linking the regional capital Lhasa with the region's southern city of Lhokha, the Lhasa-Tsethang Highway is expected to open to the public by the end of the year, and reduce the travel time between the cities to about one hour from three hours at present.

"It will fundamentally change local transportation, not only greatly improving travel, but also driving the development of tourism, agriculture and animal husbandry along the route," said Zhou.

"It is of great value for promoting the economic and social development of Tibet, and to build the region into a moderately prosperous society in all respects," he added.

Drolma Kelsang, a Tibetan villager who lives along the route, said she is pleased about the tunnel, and looks forward to the opening of the highway.

"It will be convenient for my kids to go to school in Lhasa, and our life will become more convenient," she said.

"It will also help our residents look for more job opportunities, and to sell our local agricultural products to a bigger market."